The Wrong Number
by NavyBlueWings
Summary: What happens when you let your friends convince you to get a new phone you don't know how to use? Lucy Heartfillia is about to find out the hard way. But when a new stranger barges into her life (literally), will she really mind the change? Or is it all a part of fate? Mainly NaLu, with Gruvia, Gale, Jerza, and Bixanna mixed in. Enjoy!
1. Photo Bomb

**Hello once again, Fairy Tail fans! I hope that you enjoy this cute little story. I'm working on two big stories that will both be premiering in June, but while you wait, I figured throwing some smaller ones in this mix would keep you occupied. So, here we go!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I own nothing!**

 **Chapter One-** The Photo Bomb

It had been a mistake, really.

Lucy Heartfilia should have gotten a new phone months before the incident happened. The last one she had was riddled with viruses. But she loved her blackberry, and Lucy was hesitant to give it up. Levy McGarden, her best friend, had tried using logic to convince her that she needed to get an upgrade. Lucy ignored her. Lisanna Strauss, another friend of theirs, had tried to bribe her with a shopping day. Lucy had hesitated, but then turned the girl down. It took Erza Scarlet tossing Lucy's phone out her second story bedroom for Lucy to finally admit defeat. Really, she didn't have a choice when she collected the pieces of her phone from the sidewalk.

The four girls had made an event out of the trip, driving down to the cape in order to get a shopping spree in. The beautiful summer day made the trip much more exciting, the girls enjoying Erza's convertible. Lucy put off buying the new phone as long as she could. But she knew it was inevitable with Erza continuing to remind her about their main task. They stopped at many shops before Lucy finally allowed Lisanna to drag her into the phone store.

That night at dinner, Lucy stared at the brand new device resting on her lap. Really, it looked way too high tech for her liking, but they no longer carried the phone she used to have. Levy had convinced her that change wasn't always bad, and they settled on the smart phone she now possessed. It wasn't expensive after her upgrade, though Lucy wasn't exactly concerned about money regardless. Her father was very wealthy, and gave her an allowance despite being twenty-one. Every week the money he gave her exceeded her needs. Her freshman year of college, Lucy immediately got a job as a coffee barista. Though the money wasn't piling up, she made due. Lucy normally saved her father's money for Christmas or birthdays so she could spoil her friends. Rarely did she go beyond the budget she set for herself. Still, it was nice to have that insurance money if she needed it.

"I can't wait to get my new upgrade!" Levy's excited voice came between her munching on their shared order of mozzarella sticks. After dealing with her antics all day, Lucy offered to take the girls out for dinner at their favorite restaurant. Fairy Tail was a common hangout for college kids in the town of Magnolia. Even with the school year over, the bar was bustling with people. Lucy stirred the straw in her peach sangria, glancing up at the girls across the table.

"I don't even know what half of these buttons do. My old phone was so much easier to use."

"It'll just take some time to get used to," Erza mumbled, glancing down at the menu in front of her. She took a gentle sip of her red wine, Erza's pallet for alcohol much more mature than most.

"I guess you're right." But from Lucy's tone, her friends could tell she was still not sold on this new cell phone.

"I mean, at least they were able to transfer your contacts, right?" At Lisanna's optimistic comment, Lucy nodded.

"Most, but not all. I wanted to invite Juvia to come and meet us, but I realized I don't even have her number." Juvia Lockser was a mutual friend of the group, and shared an apartment with Lisanna. Hearing about her emotional roommate, Lisanna grabbed the new device from Lucy's hand and yanked out her own phone.

"Here, I'll throw her number into the message bar for you. When you send it, your Facebook will recognize her number from your friends list and automatically fill in her information. Bet your old phone didn't do that." The white-haired girl sent Lucy a wink while she punched their friend's number in. Lucy laughed and held her hands up in defeat.

"Alright, you guys win. Maybe having a new phone won't be the worst thing in the world."

"That's the spirit, Lu-chan!" Levy's cheer made Lucy smile. Lisanna tossed the phone back to her, Lucy fumbling to catch it. Levy glanced over her friend's shoulder at the phone's now reflective screen. "You taking a picture message?"

"I guess I am now, though I'm not quite sure how—Ah!" Instantly a flash hit their eyes, a picture popping up on the screen. Lucy's face was a mixture of confusion and frustration, her mouth parted mid sentence. Levy's bright green headband kept most of her hair back, but a lock of it dripped over Lucy's right shoulder. Lucy could see Erza in the background, too occupied with the menu to notice the picture being taken. Lisanna seemed to be the only one who knew what was going to happen. She was behind Lucy, ready for the picture. Her tongue was out, winking toward the camera cutely. Laughing, Lucy decided to keep the picture. Juvia would probably get a smile out of it, right? "What should I put the caption as?"

"Throw something demanding in there; Juvia's going to try to make some excuse about being a bother or too shy to come to the bar if you ask." Lisanna knew her roommate better than anyone else. Juvia always had work and studying on her mind, never her social life. She was a beautiful girl, but her social skills were lacking. Whenever they went out to public places or college parties, it was nearly impossible to get Juvia to come.

"Alright, how about 'Come to Fairy Tail, or we'll punish you'?" Levy's suggestion made Lucy blush.

"We want her to come out, not pass out in embarrassment!"

"I don't see any harm in a little teasing." Erza had now joined back into the conversation, smirking as she pushed her glasses up her nose. "After all, we're all old enough to take a joke, yes?"

"Even you, Erza?" Lucy said, the red head shrugging.

"Then it's settled! Send away, Lu-chan!" Lucy rolled her eyes at Levy's excitement in embarrassing her friend. Really, these three could be demons when they wanted to. They just got away with it because of their good looks. She sent the message, adding a winking face in the hopes that their friend would catch the joke. Juvia had a tendency to let her emotions get the better of her, which made her an easy target to tease. Once the message was sent, Lucy glanced to the message bar. She frowned when Juvia's name didn't pop up.

"Hey, I thought you said this would change?" Lucy showed the phone to Lisanna, who seemed just as confused as Lucy.

"Yeah it should have. And I know Juvia's got her number on her Facebook, because it changed when I put it in my phone." To prove her point, Lisanna pulled her phone back out and compared the two messages. Her blue eyes scanned the two screens, her shoulders suddenly tensing while a look of panic took over. "Uh-oh…"

"What do you mean, 'uh-oh'?" Lucy's voice squeaked towards the end with nerves. Lisanna sent a guilty look to her friend, slowly sliding the new phone back to its owner.

"I _may_ have put in Juvia's old number. And we _may_ have sent that picture to some random person we've never met before. And they _may_ now have your number…"

"How did you manage that?" Levy spoke up when she saw Lucy's stunned face, knowing her blond friend wasn't going to be speaking just yet. Lisanna quickly pressed her hands together in a praying motion while she bowed her head.

"Well I was looking at Lucy when I entered the name; I forgot I never deleted Juvia's old number from my phone. I synced her new one to her Facebook, but the old one was still in there. So I'm not exactly sure who we just texted."

"Lisanna, don't you think you should have been paying more attention when using Lucy's phone?" Erza's disapproving voice made Lisanna whine, quickly nodding her head in the bowed position.

"I really didn't think about it until just now! I'm sorry Lucy, I'll just text the person back and tell them we sent it to the wrong person." Lucy finally shook the shock away, trying to smile while she nervously laughed.

"No, no! I've got it. Really, anyone could have made that mistake." She knew Lisanna hadn't meant to send it to some random person. She waved off Lisanna's apologetic stare while she typed 'sorry, wrong number!' to the mysterious contact. "Besides, most people just ignore texts when they don't know who they are from. I'm sure they'll just think we're weirdos and delete the text."

"I'm really sorry, Lucy," Lisanna apologized again, Lucy holding out her hand.

"How about you just call Juvia, and we'll call it even? I'd say text her, but who knows who you'll contact next." The group laughed while Lisanna blushed, quickly excusing herself to call her roommate. She returned shortly to say Juvia would be there soon, and the conversation of summer plans took over the table. Lucy slid the phone to the side when the waitress came, each girl placing their order for the food they intended to get. Juvia entered just as the waitress had finished taking Erza's order, the blue-haired woman ordering a salad with her Sangria. Lucy moved her chair closer to Levy, allowing Juvia to sit next to her. The quiet girl glanced to the table, blinking.

"Did Lucy get a new phone?" Her soft voice was answered with Lucy's nod.

"Yup, the old phone was sent to phone heaven by Erza. I thought I told you to invite her to come?" Lucy glanced to Lisanna, who sighed.

"I did invite her, but Juvia was too busy putting some thesis paper together to listen to me."

"Juvia is sorry!" The blue-haired girl's remorseful response made Lucy laugh.

"It's no big deal; the three of them were already a handful." Lucy could only imagine what Juvia would do being in such a crowded shopping plaza. Juvia leaned closer to Lucy while peering at the phone.

"May Juvia look at it?"

"Of course," Lucy replied, clicking the power button to put her password in. She stopped when she noticed she had a notification, a text message popping onto her screen. The number wasn't in her phone, and it took a moment for Lucy to realize who it was. "No way..."

"What's wrong, Lu-chan?" Levy's concerned voice went unanswered by Lucy, who hesitated to open up the text. She finally clicked on the notification, surprised to see a picture instead of words. She stayed silent, concerning the others in the group. Levy tried again, placing her hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Lucy?"

"Oh my god!" The laughter that burst from Lucy's mouth filled the table, the blonde trying to muffle her giggles behind her hands. Tears collected in her eyes as she gasped for air, continuing to laugh despite the weird looks the table got from onlookers. If she noticed them she didn't care, continuing to laugh at whatever caught her eye in the photo.

"Is Lucy okay?" Juvia's question was on everyone's mind, Levy slowly sliding the phone over to look at it. She felt herself starting to laugh as she caught sight of the picture message Lucy received. In it sat five boys that Levy had never seen before. The first one had bright pink hair, sitting in the same spot that Lucy had with a confused look on his face. To his right was a very attractive man, an army bandana holding back his long black hair. It seemed almost planned that a lock of his hair rested on the pink haired man's shoulder. His look seemed dumbfounded, but somehow Levy could tell it wasn't his go-to face. From his piercings and wild hair, Levy was sure this man liked to be in control. She swallowed at the warm feeling rising in her chest before she looked to the rest of the picture. Where Erza had sat now was replaced with a man with glasses, his short hair a beautiful blue. The other side of the background was filled with a peculiar man, a black tattoo covering the middle of his face. His tongue was out and he was winking like Lisanna had. The only extra male was the black haired man in the bottom right hand corner of the picture. He seemed uninterested in the picture, a beer pressed to his lips.

Underneath the picture, the text read 'You couldn't handle us, four on five'

"They re-enacted our picture," Levy said, letting herself laugh afterwards. Lisanna was instantly leaning over the table, trying to see. She giggled at the picture, surprised that there was a man comfortable enough to take on the girly pose she had used. Looking at his expression, Lisanna was positive he was the jokester of the group. That tattoo alone proved he didn't take himself too seriously in life. She had always been a fan of men who could make her laugh.

Even Erza was interested, smirking slightly when seeing the handiwork of the unknown men.

"My, they've got some guts," Erza mumbled, pushing her glasses up to see the picture better. She let her eyes linger on the man who 'impersonated' her, silently wondering if the glasses were needed or simply to mimic her. If they were real, she had to admit they suited him. The redhead glanced to Lucy, who had finally managed to get her laughter under control.

"I can't believe they sent this! It's amazing! I've seen people do it online, but I never thought it'd happen to me. This is the best joke ever." Lucy looked at the picture again, smiling at the man in the middle of the whole scheme. He had her look down to a T, committing completely to the picture. She had to admit he made her laugh more than the other four, but maybe she was biased? He did take the role of her own pose, after all!

"So Lucy, what will you do?" Levy's question caught Lucy's attention, dragging her out of her own head.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, watching Erza finish her wine before ordering another. It was rare to see the woman have more than one glass, but Erza seemed to be in a good enough mood to push that limit. Maybe she got as much enjoyment out of the picture as Lucy did?

"Are you going to respond?"

"Respond? Why would I respond?"

"Because they're obviously flirting with us!" The one who started this mess tried grabbing for the phone, Lucy instantly yanking it back. Lisanna flopped on the table, her martini almost ending up spilt over. Erza made a quick save of Lisanna's drink though the short-haired woman didn't care. Instead she pouted, making sure her lower lip pushed out. "Come on, it's just some harmless fun. Plus, it's not like any of us are in a relationship."

"We don't even know who these men are; they could be dangerous." Erza's motherly tone made Levy glance back at the picture, a look of longing flickering in her eyes. It was obvious she wanted to side with Lisanna, but her logic leaned toward Erza.

"You really think they'd hurt us?" Lisanna quickly wave her hand, dismissing Levy's fear instantly.

"There's no way! Did you see how much fun they had with it? If they were dangerous, I don't think they'd be willing to show so many witnesses their faces. They look to be our age, too." Juvia had remained silent during the conversation, though Lucy could see her eyes constantly glancing to the picture. She let the other three converse about if Lucy should respond while Lucy nudged her friend with her elbow.

"See something you like, Juvia?" Juvia instantly tensed at the accusation, covering her cheeks with her hands.

"Ju-Juvia just…she…th-this man." She pointed to the man with the beer, her finger lingering for a second before she spoke again. "Juvia finds herself drawn to his face."

The sentence itself shocked Lucy. Juvia was never the type to go after men. If there was one thing Lucy knew, it was that no man had ever caught the interest of Juvia. She had dated on occasion, but Lucy was sure it was because Juvia was too nice to turn people down. Most of the time men only hung around Juvia for a few months, then broke it off when they realized how dedicated she was to her studies and job.

It was hard, being as advanced in her field as she was. Though Juvia was the same age as Lucy, she was extremely intelligent. She worked with marine animals, and had even helped changed some thought processes of marine life. She was a prodigy in her field, and constantly was travelling with the college to conferences and science exhibitions. Though she was still getting her degree, Juvia had already scored a job working under one of the best marine scientist of the world. Being married to her degree meant she had little time for men. That was most likely why she never showed interest in them. But here, while staring at the mystery man in the picture, Lucy could see something changed in Juvia.

And who was she to let that chance slip by?

"Say cheese, Juvia!" The distracted girl glanced up at Lucy's extended arm, her other arm wrapped around Juvia's shoulders. Juvia's face read pure confusion, her eyes showing her discomfort while the picture was snapped. Lucy pulled the phone down to glance at the image, satisfied with the beautiful glow her friend's skin had. Though Lucy knew she looked cute with her wink and perky smile, Juvia would be a pleasant surprise for the guys. Really, Juvia was a knock-out. The slight pout of her lips was shadowed by the pink hue of her cheeks, making her look gorgeous. The long waves of blue that framed her face only enhanced the blue of her eyes. It was a perfect shot to get the mystery boy interested.

"What is Lucy doing with Juvia's picture?" Lucy snickered as she turned away from her friend, typing 'Just evened the score, can your friend handle it?' underneath it. She was being far feistier than she normally would be in real life, but texting brought out the courage in everyone. She sent the text before Juvia could steal the phone, the horrified girl's eyes widening when reading what Lucy had sent. "Juvia does not agree!"

"I just want to see if your interest is mutual. You really do deserve a little romantic spark in your life, Juvia."

"That was awesome, Lucy!" Lisanna's praise made Lucy smile, both girls knowing the struggles of Juvia's love life. They hi-fived over the table, while Juvia bit her lip in trepidation. The response this time was much quicker, Lucy opening the text to another picture.

She assumed the man with pink hair owned the phone, since he followed her lead with a wink and a grin. She was surprised to find herself blushing. From the photo she could clearly see he was fit, his lean body being hugged by a black tank-top. Too caught up in the humor of the first photo, Lucy hadn't actually taken time to admire the boyish face now staring back at her. His teeth were perfect, his smile filling his entire face. As if he could see her, Lucy self-consciously ran her fingers through her hair. Trying to ignore the random spark of warmth in her belly, Lucy glanced to the guy in the picture next to him. He didn't possess the same confused look as Juvia, though his irritated scowl seemed more appropriate for this guy. She assumed he was the 'serious' one of the group. His less-than-willing look didn't stop the sharp intake of breath to Lucy's right. She coyly glanced to Juvia, whose eyes were transfixed on the new picture. Maybe it was because the guy had somehow lost his shirt? Lucy glanced to the parts of his chest she could see, surprised to find this guy was also in shape. Yet her heart didn't skip like the first one—

"What does it say?" Levy's voice interrupted her thought process. Lucy glanced up at her group, jumping slightly when seeing Lisanna and Levy both staring at her. They were too into this!

"Oh, uh…" She had been so preoccupied with analyzing the picture; she hadn't even read the text. Trying to hide that fact, Lucy quickly scanned the text below.

 _We'll just have to see, huh?_

What did _that_ mean? Lucy scowled at the weird response, wondering if she should reply. Though they seemed harmless, Erza could be right. What if these guys got their kicks by killing people? What if they were in a gang? And now they had her number? She knew the probability of them being dangerous was slim, but they were all quite in shape. If they had to fight, the only girl who could really stand up to them would be Erza. And even she would struggle with a 5 on 1 attack. Letting her mind get the best of her, Lucy quickly clicked the power button and returned the screen to black.

"Aw, Lucy! What'd you do that for?" Lisanna asked, frowning at her friend. Lucy didn't want to tell the girls about her random thought process, so she was happy to see their food coming out of the kitchen.

"It's rude to be on your phone when you're eating, right?" Lucy asked, knowing she would get instant backup from a certain redhead.

"Lucy's correct. Everyone, I do not want to see phones out until our meal is over," Erza said, circulating the wine in her glass before taking another sip. She tended to get a little more forceful when drinking, which meant Erza's word was now law. Each girl was quick to follow it in fear of Erza's wrath. Not that they really cared once their food was in front of them. Juvia dove straight into her Sangria, drinking half of it before Lucy could even cut into her steak. The blonde assumed it was Juvia's way of trying to hide her embarrassment from earlier. Everything felt better when you had a buzz going. Lucy sipped on her own drink while jumping into the girls' new conversation. The topic kept changing between Lisanna's experiences in Australia, to Erza's first place in women's Kendo. And as the girls finished up their dinners, the rest of the night went quite smoothly.

Until Lucy heard Juvia's empty glass shatter on the ground.

"Juvia! Are you okay?" Lucy quickly grabbed Juvia's hand, checking to make sure none of the glass had cut her. Juvia didn't respond to Lucy's question, her eyes transfixed on something over Lisanna's head. Confused, Lucy slowly peeked over to where Juvia was looking, shock filling her senses. In the doorway of the bar stood five men, which normally wouldn't catch Lucy's attention. But it was their characteristics flashing in the dim light of the bar that had Lucy's mouth dropping. One unbuttoned shirt (was that even allowed in public?), a black tattoo, a set of reading glasses, one army bandana, and pink hair. It was really hard not to recognize the guys she had been playing phone tag with.

"Oh my—" Lucy couldn't finish her sentence, her eyes unwavering from the cheeky smile she received from her counterpart. Levy was the next to catch on, quick to lean closer to Lucy as if scared.

"How did they find us?" At Levy's quiet whisper, Lisanna and Erza both turned around. Lisanna didn't seem as shocked as the others, taking in the appearance of their 'photo bombers' with an excited wave. Erza, however, didn't seem as humored. She had already risen from her seat, glaring at the men who were casually walking their way.

"Lucy, get ready to call the police."

"The police?!" Levy and Lucy's answer was simultaneous, Lisanna trying to tug Erza back into her seat.

"Why don't we ask them how they found us first? Maybe Lucy's phone gives people her location?" Lucy blinked at Lisanna's suggestion, snapping her fingers. She quickly looked back at the texts exchanged by the two, confirming her intuition.

"The caption of the first picture! I told Juvia where to meet us; they must go to school around here." It made sense, if Lucy thought about it. The man's phone number used to be Juvia's, meaning they lived in the same area. Fairy Tail was a pretty popular place for college kids. It wasn't hard to realize how they knew where the girls were.

"Yo." Lucy looked back up from her phone, jumping at how close the new face was to her. If she moved her head, her nose would brush against the pink-haired man's cheek. He was so close, she could feel his hot breath brushing against her skin. He laughed at her shock, sending her another bright smile. "It's nice to meet you—"

"Too close!" Lucy jammed her hands into his chest, knocking him backwards into a booth. Lucy pressed her hand to her heart, which was beating rapidly from the surprise attack. She pressed her other hand to her cheek, panicking when feeling how hot the skin had gotten. Was her blush noticeable? She peeked over to the group, who were all now staring at her in shock.

"Did you see how far Natsu went? Blondie's got some strength. Bixlow approves of her style!" The man with the face tattoo spoke first, laughing loudly at Lucy's blunder. Quickly she turned away, fanning her face while coughing to clear the air.

"So-Sorry about that!"

"Don't be; Natsu has a tendency to ignore people's personal space." A gruff voice came from the guy's group, the tall man rubbing his temple while he spoke. "He didn't even think to ask if you guys wanted company before dragging us down here."

"The guy's got no manners, Gajeel. What do you expect?" Juvia instantly perked up at the response, her cheeks flushing from the smooth flow of another voice. The now shirtless man glanced over to their group, sending them an apologetic smile that nearly melted Juvia in her seat. "My name's Gray Fullbuster, and I apologize for barging into your dinner, ladies."

"Oh, it's no problem at all. Really, we were just surprised to see you," Lucy replied, waving his apology away. She glanced back to the man they called Natsu, who was stuck between the booth and the table. Feeling pity for him, Lucy moved from her seat to offer him a hand. He took her offering, yanking himself up and nearly toppling the two of them back over. He steadied her with his other hand, his touch warming her arm instantly.

"I never expected someone so feminine to have so much power. You're pretty awesome!" Lucy blushed at his statement, wondering how many people complimented the person who had assaulted them. He must have taken her embarrassment as a good sign, clasping her hand tighter to shake it. "I'm Natsu Dragneel. The guy you sent the message to."

"Lucy Heartfilia. Sorry about the mess up, I just got this phone today." He shrugged at her apology.

"It's okay, we were looking for something fun to do anyways. Before your text, the five of us were planning on binge watching Game of Thrones and taking shots any time someone died."

"You would've been drunk by the first episode!" Levy exclaimed, laughing at Natsu's eager nod.

" _You_ watch Game of Thrones?" Gajeel re-entered the conversation, sending Levy a look that proved he didn't expect that from her.

"Well, I read the _Fire and Ice_ series first," Levy replied, looking down at the thumbs she was twiddling in her lap. Levy was a nerd when Lucy met her freshman year, enjoying _Lord of the Rings_ and things of that nature. While Lucy didn't get it at first, she never judged her friend for it. Years after their friendship grew closer, Lucy found herself watching Fantasy movies with Levy. She even dabbled in some manga of her own. She preferred the romantic comedies, but could watch _Harry Potter_ marathons if Levy asked.

"Those books are pretty gory. You don't seem the type to enjoy death." At Gajeel's statement, Levy nodded but kept her head down.

"I managed." Her shy demeanor made her miss the arched eyebrow of the pierced man, Lucy snickering to herself. When it was just the girls, Levy was very outgoing and adventurous. She could keep conversation with Lisanna, which was saying a lot. But when it came to men, Levy's nerves got the best of her. It wasn't like Juvia, who had no time or desire to meet someone. Levy truly did want a happily ever after; it was just hard for her to get out of her shell when men came around. But even with her lack of eye contact, Levy had seemed to snag the interest of one very tall man in the bar.

"Levy told us how good the books were, and Erza continued to promote the quality of the show. We decided to watch it as a group every Friday. We've only watched the first three episodes, though," Lucy explained. Erza wasn't the bookworm that Levy was, but she was obsessed with the show. Maybe it was all the fighting and unique armors that really caught her interest. Erza always had a thing for pointy swords.

"I like the show, despite reading the books first." For the first time since the group got there, the man with blue hair spoke. "There are some character changes, and the order of some people's deaths are different. But it doesn't take away from the show as a whole. They've done a pretty good job, so far."

"You've got Jellal's nerd radar going off. He's got a fantasy boner." Bixlow snickered at his own joke, Jellal instantly rubbing his neck at the attention. Erza took a step closer to the group, her arms crossed over her chest defensively. Her eyes were fixated on Jellal now, a scowl marring her pretty features. He caught her gaze and straightened his posture, but his eyes showed no true fear of the woman's harsh stare. It was a first, to see someone stand without fear in front of her. Even the other men in Jellal's group seemed to back away at this point.

"They say someone's favorite character can show a lot about who they are. I'd like to know who you find interesting." It was a simple question. Asked by anyone else, Lucy was sure it would mean nothing. And yet when Erza asked it, she knew it was dangerous. Erza was smart, and good at seeing what a person looked like on the inside. It was why she struggled so hard in the dating world; she couldn't stand people who weren't true to themselves.

From her own accord, Erza didn't have many friends in her high school years. She was an outcast because she was honest to anyone who crossed her path. It was lonely, but it was what she felt in her heart was the best path to take. When she came to college, she found Lucy's group. As she had with Jellal, Erza had asked Levy the same question. Levy had answered 'Tyrion Lannister', and it seemed to please Erza enough to join their group. Lucy, Lisanna, Levy, even Juvia loved Erza regardless of her honesty, and welcomed her as their own. Erza became fiercely protective of the girls, almost like a mother to them.

That same affection didn't transfer into Erza's love life. Men would try to woo her with presents and money, neither ideal for capturing the red-head's heart. She asked the same question to every guy, the show being nearly impossible to avoid on their campus. Their answers were 'shallow' or 'self-obsessed' as Erza would put it, and she would send each man packing. They would still try despite her blunt rejection. But when they saw their parlor tricks wouldn't get far with Erza, they gave up. She pretended she was fine with being alone, but Lucy had caught Erza eyeing wedding dresses and engagement rings earlier that day.

She knew that Erza was lonely.

"Pick Drogo! That dude's such a badass. Killing people and riding around like a boss—" Natsu's loud input was cut off when Erza glared over at him. Instantly he hid behind Lucy, who glanced over her shoulder in shock.

"Why are you hiding behind me?!"

"Because your friend is really scary," He whispered, Lucy rolling her eyes and sighing. She looked back to Jellal, whose face showed he took Erza's question seriously. Lucy had to admit she was curious as well. The other four boys seemed to wear their personalities on their sleeves; it was obvious Erza would never waste her time on them. But Jellal was much quieter. He pondered the options for a few moments before glancing back up to her, his mind made up.

"Jon Snow." Surprise flashed through Erza's eyes at his answer but her face remained stoic. Lucy wondered what that meant for Jellal. She hadn't seen much of the show yet, so she wasn't sure if that was a good character or not. From Natsu's loud groan, Lucy assumed the guy wasn't the most destructive character. But to Lucy's surprise, Erza turned away from Jellal, glancing toward her friends at the table.

"It's been decided." Without an explanation for what she meant, Erza returned to the table to sip on her second glass of wine. Though the boys seemed confused by her actions, Lucy instantly knew what this meant. Sending a grin toward the new group, Lucy pointed toward their table.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, boys. Would you like a drink?"

 **And there's part one of this story. The boys sure do like to make a scene. Well, what do you think? How will the groups get along? Will Lucy learn something about Natsu that nobody else knows? What fears of her own does she discover? And just what mischief will each couple get into? Find out next time, after you review! And come follow me on Tumblr,** **Navybluewings0013** **!**

 **Chapter Two-** **The Fear of Change**


	2. The Fear of Change

**Hello! Here is the second part of this quirky little story. I hope that you all enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine**

 **Chapter Two-** **The Fear of Change**

Normally, Fairy Tail closed early on Tuesdays. There weren't many people that liked to stay out late in the middle of the week.

"Would you like another round?" Tonight was not a normal Tuesday. Mirajane, Lisanna's sister, was the barista for the night. Mira was friendly with the girls, and married to the owner's grandson, Laxus. She didn't need to work there, Laxus made enough money for them to live quite comfortably. But she enjoyed the customers enough to stay. When she saw her friends with a new group of men, she offered to keep the place open for them to hang out. After she made the call to her husband, Mira closed Fairy Tail down for everyone but the group of ten. The bar lights were low, but Lucy could still see the spark in Natsu's eyes as he challenged Erza to a drinking challenge.

"Of course! I need to show this _man_ that a woman can be his equal in any sport." The red head was swaying in her chair, but she refused to back down. Mira set down another round of drinks, looking to Lucy with a questioning gaze. The blond held up the set of keys, showing she had confiscated them from Erza once the challenge had begun. She placed them next to her water that she had been drinking for the past half hour.

Lucy gasped when Erza nearly fell backwards, only being supported by the gentle hand of Jellal.

"Are you okay?" His voice was soft, but the concern was easy to read. Erza unconsciously leaned into the touch while she slammed the beer onto the table and ignored his question.

"Are you ready to taste defeat, Natsu?" As if they had been friends for years, Natsu grinned at her while he tapped the tip of his bottle to hers.

"I like your style, woman. Almost as crazy as mine."

"Nobody is as crazy as Natsu," Gray muttered to Lucy, who giggled behind her hand. She pulled away from the charming man to glance around the table. Everyone, surprisingly, was getting along. If you were a stranger looking in, you'd think they had all come in together. As a joke, Natsu had demanded that everyone sit next to their 'photo bombed persona', which had some interesting consequences. Lisanna and Bixlow seemed to hit it off instantly, the two chatting about their dreams to backpack across Europe. They were already planning the imaginary trip, down to how much they could get for Bixlows' "services" in Germany. The two had no boundaries when it came to their conversations or personal space. Bixlow had a hand on Lisanna's leg, the coy girl resting her hand on his bicep while she laughed. They certainly weren't taking things slow.

"Are you sure you're old enough for that drink, shrimp?" Lucy tried not to laugh at Levy's new nickname, which had been bestowed on her by Gajeel. Levy sent the pierced man a dangerous glare before she sipped on her drink, boldly leaning up to tap his nose.

"We share the same birthday, remember?" Though they weren't as...forward as Lisanna and Bixlow, the two directly across from Lucy had been swapping facts all night. Levy had been a little apprehensive at first, but lost her fear when he mentioned his cat, Panther Lily. Deeming that no psychopath would be willing to take care of an animal (and share a bed with it, at that) Levy let some of her guard down in talking to him.

And that was when the insults began.

"I think you lied on your license. Let me see that thing." Gajeel swiped the card from the table before Levy could protest, holding it too high for her to grab. He glanced to the picture and snickered, causing Levy's face to resemble a tomato. "What's with the picture? You look like you're being stabbed."

"It wasn't my fault; the guy was creeping me out. He kept asking his friend to come 'fix the lens', which I think was just his way of getting his friend to come check me out." Lucy remembered that story; the two guys ended up finding Levy at their college years later. Jet and Droy were harmless, but obsessed, with Levy. Mainly because they both thought they had a chance with her. Sometimes Levy would hang out with them, because she did enjoy their company. But once one of them tried to make a move on her, she would distance herself for a couple weeks before trying to be friendly again. God bless her roommate for being so kind.

"Maybe they were trying to angle the camera downward; you know they're not used to taking pictures of midgets." Gajeel laughed at his own joke, Levy groaning as she hit his arm.

"That's not funny!" He seemed amused as she continued her assault on his arm, his genuine smile being missed by the focused woman. Lucy, however, did see it, and giggled loud enough to catch Gajeel's attention. He sent her a weird look, though Lucy waved her hand to dismiss it before turning to give them some privacy.

"And done!" Erza tossed her beer to the side as she grinned at Natsu, who had just barely finished his beer after her. He groaned as he placed his forehead on the table.

"No way, how did you beat me? You're so wasted already; it's impossible!" Erza jumped out of her chair, wobbling as soon as she got to her feet.

"How does defeat taste at the hands of a woman?" She glanced over to Jellal, who tried not to smile when she pointed slightly toward his left. It was pretty obvious that she was seeing more than one of him, "And you; are you afraid of a woman who can hold her own with liquor?"

"Should I be?" He asked, catching her hand when he saw her lose her balance. In an instant he was behind her, her back resting against his chest. She looked confused for a moment, before tilting her head up to gaze at him. Her cheeks were flushed, though Lucy wasn't sure it was because of the alcohol.

"W-Who said you could touch me?" Lucy almost forgot how feisty Erza got when she was drunk. Most of the time, the mature women wouldn't let herself get this far. Lucy could only assume it was Jellal's presence that had her so off her game. When it came to energetic men, or pigs who tried to put women beneath them, Erza was able to cut them down with no issue. But it was the kinder, quieter men that Erza didn't know how to approach. Seeming to mull over his _Game of Throne_ 's answer from before, Lucy had caught Erza sneaking glances at Jellal throughout the night. To distract herself, she had taken Natsu's challenge to prove she was still, in fact, the heroine Erza Scarlet.

But even heroines needed to be swept off their feet once in awhile.

"Would you like to sit down, instead?" She hesitantly nodded, drawn in by his soft voice. Jellal lead her to a seat a little bit away from the crowd, Lucy surprised that Erza had let him. Then again, Erza was well beyond drunk. Glancing around the room, she was sure she was one of the only sober people there. Natsu seemed pretty far gone, and Lisanna and Bixlow had been sharing drinks for quite some time. Levy wasn't smashed, but from how close she sat to Gajeel, she was sure Levy wasn't sober either. And then there was-

Wait.

"Where's Juvia?" Lucy glanced around the room, but she couldn't find Juvia anywhere. Instantly she got worried, but a shifting of a chair beside her made her glance up to Gray.

"She went outside about ten minutes ago. I thought maybe she was a smoker or something."

"No, Juvia's never even tried a cigarette," Lucy explained, Gray sighing before finishing off his beer. Placing the empty bottle onto the table, he looked to Natsu and scoffed.

"If you keep an eye on the drunkard and order me another beer, I'll find your friend. Deal?"

"Are you sure? Juvia tends to be kind of shy around men."

"I'm her doppelganger, remember? I'm kind of like a... _ninth_ wheel without her."

"Well I guess that's true..." Lucy was going to protest more, but she squeaked when Natsu's head dropped on her chest.

"Mmm...your boobs feel like pillows, Luce." Gray snorted at his friend's statement, looking to the embarrassed girl.

"I think I'd rather go look for Juvia; I don't have the right body parts to sooth him." Lucy only mutely nodded, Gray shoving his hands in his pockets before heading toward the door. Once he left, Lucy glanced back down at the man who seemed more than cosy nuzzling the tops of her breasts with his nose.

"Hey, st-stop doing that," Lucy muttered, pressing her palm into his forehead to push him away. He let out a grunt at his loss of a pillow, Natsu managing to sit up completely in his chair with a little help from Lucy. His cheeks were flushed from the booze they had been drinking, and Lucy could tell he was a little more than tipsy. Leaning her head on her hands, Lucy glanced to the bar's clock in trepidation. "Hey, Natsu?"

"What's up, Luce?" Where did the nickname come from? Lucy didn't want to admit it made her heart beat a little faster, so she cleared her throat to distract herself before continuing.

"Which one of you drove here?"

"Drove?" The blonde blinked as a queasy look came over Natsu's face, the man dropping his forehead to the table with a moan. "Don't even talk about transportation or I'm really going to puke."

"You get car sick?" He nodded against the table, turning his head to look up at her.

"Me and lug-nut can't stand cars. That's why we got a apartment on campus; our house is only a few minutes away. We walked here." Lucy wasn't sure which of his friends was 'Lug-nut', but she was happy to hear that they weren't driving home.

"You sure are a strange one," she said, smiling when he sent her a scowl.

"If you think I'm weird, you should see Gray on a daily basis. The guy's got a stripping complex!" Her laughter was loud as Natsu swung his arms around in the air, his animation a breath of fresh air in her normally boring life. He grinned as her giggles started to slow, taking another swig of the drinks Mira brought over. "And what about you?"

"Huh?"

"I want to learn more about you. You are my twin, after all." She rolled her eyes at his logic, but humored him by tapping her lower lip in thought.

"Well, I'm a Cancer, and yes, this is my natural hair color. I'm afraid of heights, my favorite food is thai, and I-" She stopped when Natsu shook his head, the bored expression on his face making her scowl. "What's with the look?"

"That stuff's superficial! I want the _real_ Lucy."

"What do you mean?" She asked, Natsu glancing around the room before his eyes lit up with clarity.

"Tell me a secret that nobody else knows. Something about your heart." Her eyes widened as she stared at him, Natsu leaning on the table in expectation.

"Wh-Why would I tell you anything like that?!"

"Isn't it obvious? Because tonight we were meant to meet for a reason."

"Eh?" Lucy's squeak of confusion made her counterpart shrug, thumbing the bottle he now stared at.

"Life doesn't just throw people into our lives by chance. I mean, look at the odds of tonight. How coincidental that five men and five women who know absolutely nothing about each other would click so easily that it seems like our groups have been friends for centuries!"

"You know, you're speaking pretty sober for a drunk person," She answered warily, Natsu blinking before he glanced to her from the corner of his eye.

"Who said I was drunk? I just knew if I acted drunk, Gray would go looking for Juvia and give us some time to talk." She choked at his languid response, Natsu snickered mischievously. "Pretty ingenious, huh?"

"Then please explain to me why you had your face shoved in my boobs earlier?" At the mention of her chest, Natsu glanced down toward her shirt and stared, Lucy quickly covering herself as she blushed.

"The scene called for it." How did she know he was going to say something like that? Letting out a loud sigh, Lucy stomped on Natsu's foot with her heel, causing the man to yelp in surprise. He hunched over to grab the injured foot, closing both eyes in pain. "Shit!"

"That's called sexual harassment!" Even though she yelled, Natsu opened an eye and grinned up at her, pushing back to an upright position.

"Face it, Luce, this is fate. Me, you, and all the other pairs." If it was anyone else, Lucy would have shut down his theory and dismissed this as a freak accident. But when Natsu said it, it didn't seem so farfetched. Maybe it was because he was crazy, and crazy people make crazy ideas sound sane. Maybe she was crazy too. But before she could really question it, Lucy glanced around the room and saw things from his point of view. Maybe in a logical world, one of the five pairs would fit together well. Two, if they were lucky. Still…

Lucy couldn't deny that there was something fateful about this encounter. Erza was not only allowing Jellal to sit beside her, but seemed quite comfortable with the quiet man's arm wrapped protectively around her waist. Okay, logic could pass that one up to the alcohol. In all her years of friendship with Lisanna, she had never seen a man able to handle her random personality, or drive for adventure. Lucy heard the girl laugh more with Bixlow than anyone else. Maybe he was just a funny guy? The jury was still out on Juvia, but if she hadn't scampered back to the bar as soon as she saw Gray, then that was a miracle in itself. Her eyes shifted to Levy, a proper nerd who would never be paired with someone like Gajeel. And yet here, in the low light of the bar, Lucy watched something magical happen between them. The shy girl she swore she knew was blossoming into something she had never seen before; it was like Levy became whole with this metal-covered man of mystery.

And then there was her.

Lucy had always had a normal life; she wasn't really the one to stand out in a crowd. The men she talked to were the same, if she really thought about it. Calm, cool, and collected, they were safe and had a path of normalcy laid out for her. And up until now, that had never bothered her. But the second she saw Natsu's face, something in her changed. His wild eyes and strange hair were so out of her normal type, but yet here she was. He was sexy, but cute, and a contradiction that kept her on her heels. He had his head shoved in her chest one second, and questioned her view on fate in the next. Magic and myth, someone she was sure would never catch her eye. But something about Natsu compelled her to stay. And from the way his eyes watched her mind sifting through her thoughts, she knew the feelings were mutual.

"You...tell me something first."

"Alright." He seemed far more comfortable with the idea than logic cautioned, Lucy blinking when Natsu turned his bicep toward her. On it sat a bright red tattoo of some weird looking...bird? What the hell was that thing? "You see that?"

"I see it. Still trying to process what it is," she replied, reaching out to run her fingers over it. Yup, it was real.

"Well, it's my guild mark." Lucy arched an eyebrow at Natsu, whose bright smile seemed to dim a shade with his explanation. "I got picked on a lot when I was a kid. My hair, my eyes, my struggles in school. Igneel tried his best to help me with learning, but he never got to finish high school. Oh, and the fact that I was abandoned by my real parents and left with the neighbor like trash didn't really help the teasing."

"So, when you say dad-"

"Igneel is my father. He's the only parent I can remember, so he's my dad." It was the first time Lucy had heard any sort of anger in Natsu's tone. She knew it wasn't directed at her, because he instantly took on a look of guilt and awkwardly ruffled his hair. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," she answered honestly, placing her hand onto his to show she held no grudge. He glanced to her hand, swiping his thumb over the back of it as he continued.

"It wasn't just kids, either; teachers were scared of me and parents used to complain that I looked dangerous. They told their kids not to be my friends. Igneel tried to help, but he was working full time and doesn't do well in formal affairs. So for a while, I went days without speaking to anyone. Then, one night, I had this...dream." He glanced up at her with a half-grin which Lucy found extremely attractive despite the tone of the situation. "In it, I wasn't a nobody. I was this powerful wizard called a dragon slayer. I even had the nickname 'The Salamander''. And I was part of this crazy guild and we had these fun adventures. We fought demons, dark guilds, and even dragons! Of course I kicked all their asses, and you...uh...you kind of remind me of one of the people in my dream."

"M-Me?" He nodded, glancing back out at the bar with a laugh.

"A lot of my friends now remind me of that dream. Or, I guess dreams. Cause I had them a lot. And this mark-" He pointed back to the tattoo, poking it slightly as if to confirm it was still there. "This was the mark of the guild I was in. Those dreams made me believe that I wasn't going to be alone forever; that I would find my very own 'guild'. It took some time, made friends with the idiots I came with here today, and got myself out alive. So, to make sure I never go back to that place again, I got this."

"And you never…" Lucy didn't continue, but Natsu was able to guess her question.

"You're the first one. Everyone else thinks I got it on a drunken bet for my eighteenth birthday." He said it so casually, that Lucy felt stupid for the slight tears she blinked away.

"Why tell me, then?" He tipped his beer back to finish it off, and it was only when he used his left hand she realized they were still holding hands. He seemed in no rush to let go of her, dropping the bottle to the table.

"Because it's never felt right to tell anyone before you." The way her heart thumped in her chest made it hard for Lucy to think of a response. Even if she wanted to speak, she was sure her throat was constricted with emotions she couldn't possibly understand. He glanced up at her after a moment, sliding his hand across the table to brush her bangs away from her eyes. "Now you, Luce. Tell me something only I get to know about your heart."

"I…" How could she ever match that? Swallowing to try and clear her throat, Lucy's mind scrambled to think of something as meaningful as the tattoo that now seemed to stare at her. Luckily, a soft melody in the air seemed to catch his attention. Lucy glanced over to Mira, who had turned on the bar's jukebox, and sent her a look of confusion.

"I figured you love birds would like some music in the background," Mira supplied, the blonde turning pink at the insinuation.

"It's not like that," Lucy assured, but Mira waved away Lucy's denial and looked away innocently.

"Oh, Mira!" Lisanna's excited tone caught both women's attention, the younger Strauss beaming at the familiar tune. "We used to listen to this song all the time when we were little."

"Did we? What a coincidence!" Mira's soft giggle seemed innocent to most, but Lucy wasn't buying it. Especially with the slight twinkle sparkling in Mira's blue gaze. Lisanna, too taken aback by the alcohol and reminiscent song, missed her sister's tricks, and turned to Bixlow with joy.

"Do you want to dance?"

"Pretty woman, I was born with the gift of the dance." Offering his hand, Bixlow bowed to Lisanna, who downed her drink before taking his hand. The black haired man gave her a wicked grin, pulling the giggling girl into the middle of the empty bar to dance. Lucy didn't know the slow tune, but watching her friend sway to the beat with her new found love-interest was warming. Bixlow wasn't lying about his swift feet, spinning Lisanna enough to twirl her pink summer dress.

"Bixlow teaches dance when he's not working in his buddy's tattoo parlor." Lucy jumped at the hot breath of air brushing against her ear, Natsu having moved to stand behind Lucy's chair. She bit her lip when his lips barely brushed the skin there, realizing that part of her didn't want to pull away. "Even managed to get Gajeel's two left feet to semi-function."

"And you?" She knew her tone held and air of breathlessness, and she felt his grin against the back of her ear.

"I move my body pretty well." Lucy finally peeked a glance up at him, Natsu not moving away when her nose dragged against his cheek from their proximity. Their eyes locked as Lucy gripped the back of the chair tightly, Natsu sending her a smile that curled her toes in her shoes. "Do you want to try me out?"

"Huh?" Lucy's eyes widened as her mind raced, cheeks nearly steaming from her dirty thoughts. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he pulled her out of her seat, her body sliding against his as she rose. Their eyes never left one another, and Lucy was sure her breath was lodged in her throat from anticipation. What was she thinking?! She had only known this man for a few hours! She should have slapped him for making such a vulgar suggestion, not shiver when his hands roamed over her hips and pulled her toward the...dance floor? Lucy blinked as Natsu pulled her to the open space, realization hitting her like train. He really meant dancing?! Lucy wanted the ground to swallow her whole from how embarrassed she was. Did he even realize the implications he had been giving her? Or was she just a pervert?

Trying to ignore her desire to drink herself into oblivion, Lucy scanned the dance floor to see that they weren't the only pair to join in on the fun. Levy and Gajeel were on the floor, despite neither seeming sober enough to know what they were doing. They looked like two middle school kids at a dance, nothing like the suave moves Bixlow and Lisanna were showing. Despite their lack of dance skills, the close proximity between them showed how comfortable they had become with one another. It seemed like Gajeel was still teasing her, but Levy didn't seem as bothered when the taller man rested one of his hands against the small of her back. And when she made a retort, she rose on her tiptoes to bring their faces closer. He only grinned back at her, keeping the buzzed girl close while he snickered at her pout.

Juvia and Gray had returned, though for the life of her she couldn't remember when. She was taken by surprise to see Juvia in the arms of Gray, who seemed annoyed by the entire situation. They were barely moving, neither seeming quite confident on the floor. Or maybe Gray was just too sober. Still, he allowed Juvia to have her fun, and even seemed to smile a bit when the embarrassed woman buried her face into his chest after a missed step.

She was sort of surprised that Erza wasn't on the floor, but one glance to the back booth explained everything. With her butt cradled in her counterpart's lap, Erza's head was resting against Jellal's shoulder while the now seemingly small woman slept. Her personality always made her seem larger than life. But there, resting in Jellal's arms, Erza returned to the slim figured woman she actually was. Jellal didn't seem to mind Erza's slight snoring, or the fact he was pinned in the booth until she woke up. Instead, he seemed quite content running his fingers through her red hair. To think that Erza would ever allow herself to sleep in someone's embrace was a strange thought, and reminded Lucy of Natsu's theory of fate. Was Jellal really the man Erza would find happiness with? Was this really all supposed to happen?

"Come here," Lucy's attention was brought back to Natsu, who was gentle as he pulled her body into his. As if meant to be there, Lucy's arms wound around Natsu's neck, her head resting on his chest when arms encased her in a warm embrace. Was this what he meant by fate? Now that the seed had been planted, Lucy couldn't stop herself from seeing the evidence. He swayed with the slow beat of the song, Lucy surprised to hear a quiet hum from the man holding her.

"You know this song?"

"That surprise you?" He pulled back enough to catch her eye, sending her a grin she was sure could light up the darkest room. "It's a classic. Normally Elvis sings it, but this girl's pretty good too. My dad's really into the oldies, so I've grown up with them. This was one of my favorites as a kid."

"Why?" He shrugged, but Lucy noticed a slight change of color on his face. For the first time since she met him, despite the crazy and embarrassing things they had talked about, Natsu blushed.

"I just like the idea behind it."

"What do you mean?" He didn't answer right away, but spun Lucy slowly, pressing her back to his chest while he wrapped his arms around her.

"You never told me your secret."

"Oh, well…" The mood of the dance floor was warm, making Lucy close her eyes as she moved with Natsu. And though she felt afraid at the table, the words she had been searching for so desperately came tumbling out without reservation. "I guess...I've never admitted this to anyone but...I do have a fear worse than heights."

"Yeah?" She felt his lips press to her temple, and she wondered if this unspoken energy between them was simply the alcohol they had consumed, or something else.

"I've always been afraid of change. Even something as silly as my phone, I...I get worried that taking a chance on something new will hurt me. But, at the same time, I want to go on adventures like Lisanna, and learn new things like Juvia." She swallowed to try and hold back her own emotions, but the words refused to stop with Natsu's hand rubbing along her hip slowly. "I want to be passionate about hobbies like Erza, find my inner geek like Levy. And...and I want to believe in what you're saying about fate, but what if you're wrong? And we're not meant to meet and it was just a horrible coincidence?"

"Let me show you it's not." His response was not what she was expecting, but the mild shock was washed away with his nuzzling of her ear. Her heartbeat staggered when Natsu started to sing the words to the song, continuing to sway their bodies together. "Oh take my hand...Take my whole life, too…"

"Na-Natsu," she whispered, praying that the shakiness of her voice didn't show how deeply the moment was affecting her. But she wasn't able to hide her emotions when he turned her back to face him, his fingers brushing the deep blush on her cheek before capturing it in his grasp.

"For I can't help, falling in love with you…" The way he held her felt like they had known each other for years, and not the few hours fate had bestowed on them. Maybe it was the atmosphere Mira had created with the dimmed lighting and music. Maybe because in her peripheral view, Lisanna had let Bixlow cross the first line of intimacy. Or maybe because it was fate. Really, it didn't matter. Finally, Lucy felt her heart succumb to Natsu's crazy theory, closing her eyes as Natsu brushed the last set of lyrics against her lips.

"Oh for I, I can't help...falling in love, with you." When Natsu cupped her face to kiss her, Lucy felt the hesitation from before melt away. Her mouth instantly accepted his, letting the familiar stranger deepen their kiss. Arms resting around his neck, Lucy kissed him back, shivering at the heat his mouth caused inside of her. He prolonged the kiss, ignoring their burning lungs to keep the connection going. And Lucy couldn't say she minded. Instead she stepped closer, enjoying the way his fingers pulled her face closer to him; as if he couldn't get enough of her taste. So when Natsu finally did pull away, with a drunken smile she knew wasn't from alcohol, Lucy felt herself dive forward to kiss him again.

It was only when Gajeel yanked the eager man away from her that Lucy realized everyone was staring. Face red as a tomato, Lucy quickly backed away from the pouting Natsu and waved her hands in front of her.

"I-It's not what-"

"Oh save it, blondie. The only reason I'm stopping him from sucking your face is because Mira's trying to close up and it's almost three in the morning. I wouldn't care about Sir Romeo's bedtime except we both have to be in the shop for 6am tomor-well, today actually. Shit." Gajeel shoved his hands in his pockets as he grumbled, moving back toward Levy and staring down at her.

"What's wrong?" She asked, biting her lower lip when he continued to stare. Patience running thin, Levy was about to snap at him when he pulled something out of his pocket. She blinked once as she looked down at the object handed to her, a business card fitting in her small hand.

"If you need an oil change or something, here's my card. My number's on it too, so call ahead to set up an appointment. You don't get no kid discount either, despite your size."

"I've got the same birthday as you!" She shouted again, Gajeel rolling his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, sure." He ran his hand through his hair, his other one sinking even deeper into his pocket. Lowering his voice, Gajeel glanced away from the girl and mumbled. "You can call if you really want to meet PantherLily, or if those guys at school bug you again. Whatever your brain comes up with."

"Like I'd want to call you." But even as she said it, Levy placed the business card into her pocket, making sure it wouldn't fall out on the way home. Gajeel gave Levy a short pat on the head before he looked to Jellal, who was carrying the sleeping woman in his arms.

"You planning on kidnapping her?" Gajeel asked, Jellal shaking his head as he glanced to Lucy.

"I'll bring her to the car whenever you're ready to leave."

"Thank you very much," Lucy said, bowing her head to Jellal who only smiled.

"It's nothing, please don't worry about it."

"Jellal, why don't I show you where to bring her?" The sudden offer from Lisanna surprised the blond, who glanced over to her friend curiously. Lisanna tilted her head to look up at Bixlow, her arms wrapped around his bicep as she smiled at him. "You ready to walk me out?"

"Sure thing, baby." Though Lucy normally cringed at the petname, Lisanna seemed to enjoy it, her giggle floating through the air as the four of them walked out. A long sigh came from behind Lucy, Juvia glancing at the clock with trepidation.

"Juvia must be on her way as well; Juvia must be up early to work on her research."

"Are you okay to drive?" Lucy asked, Juvia nodding once.

"I'm gonna have her call me when she gets home just to be sure." Gray interjected into the conversation, giving the blue haired woman a knowing look. "Don't forget about Sunday."

"O-Of course not!" Juvia's tone matched her blushing cheeks, making Lucy wonder just what it was the two talked about outside of the bar. Gray gave Juvia one silent nod before glancing over to Gajeel and Natsu, swinging his shirt to hang off his shoulder.

"You ready?"

"I'll catch up." Natsu's answer got two raised eyebrows, but neither man cared enough to comment. Gray and Gajeel moved out of the bar with their blue haired women in tow, leaving Natsu and Lucy alone in the bar. The two didn't look at each other first, Lucy glancing at her phone while Natsu fidgeted with his shirt. Realizing that the awkward silence wasn't going anywhere, Natsu stepped forward and snatched Lucy's phone from her hand, making the woman blink then growl.

"He-Hey! What are you doing?"

"Hold on a second," he mumbled, knocking her hands away with his free hand while he typed something into her phone. Once satisfied with his work Natsu tossed the phone back to his counterpart, who nearly dropped it from lack of preparation. Before she had time to look at what he had done, Natsu was pulling her wrist toward him, invading her personal space. She blushed at the intimacy, but didn't pull away when he pressed his forehead into her. "Text me when you wake up tomorrow. I'd like to take you out on a real date."

"Ok-Okay," Lucy whispered, feeling her heart skip at the idea of seeing Natsu again. Giving her his signature smile, Natsu leaned forward and kissed her deeply, making Lucy's mind blank on anything except the roughness of his mouth on hers. So when he pulled away before Lucy could react, she felt herself pout at the missed opportunity. He laughed at her face, his attention drawn outside when a loud bark of 'let's go, moron!' was snapped out by Gajeel.

"Gotta run, see ya!" And just like that, the ball of energy was gone. She wanted to call after him, but she knew it wouldn't do much. He had to work in a few hours, and she had already kept him up late. She already knew her text tomorrow wouldn't be until late in the afternoon. Reminding herself of her phone, Lucy glanced down at the device to see what Natsu had done without her knowledge or permission. Leaving her contacts tab open, Lucy felt herself smile when seeing 'Salamander 3' as a new contact in her phone. It wasn't just the name that made Lucy's smile so bright; it was a reminder that tonight was special for both of them. They shared a part of each other that nobody else in the world knew about them. And Lucy realized quite quickly that she wanted to know more about Natsu! Hugging the phone closer to her, Lucy slowly walked out of the bar and embraced the cool summer air on her flushed skin. She walked toward Erza's car, a small realization causing a pause in her step.

One wrong number had changed her life, and for once she wasn't scared.

 **And that's the wrap up of this simple story! I do have another chapter coming up, but it's more of a bonus chapter than anything. More so of what happened with Juvia and Gray when they disappeared. And maybe a little update on some of the other couples. But wait around and see how that is, leave a review, or go visit my Tumblr,** **Navybluewings0013** **!**

 **Next Chapter: To Catch a Mako**


	3. To Catch a Mako

**Hello all! I totally forgot about this story between my NaLu week story and getting my two new stories ready. But now here I am! And this is the conclusion of the story, so please enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **None of them are mine -sobs-**

 **Chapter Three-** **To Catch a Mako**

All Gray wanted to do was watch TV. It had been the whole reason he had come over to the idiot's apartment. He had no desire to send stupid pictures, or go searching some rowdy bar for some women they had never even met before. He would have much rather just stayed in the apartment with his feet up and a cold beer in his hand.

But then he caught a glimpse of something interesting enough to get him to follow his stupid friends to "Fairy Tail", a bar they frequented quite often. It was a few minutes from Natsu's apartment, so it wasn't a horrible walk (because God forbid they make Gajeel and Natsu get in anything that moved). The sun had just sunk down, leaving the warm summer air in it's wake. Gray never minded the cold anyways, and had already lost his shirt once during their little photo shoot. As Natsu kicked the door open to the bar, Gray barely realized he had already unbuttoned his shirt again. He ignored the drunken giggles and catcalls from the women next to the door who were already on their way to being smashed. Gray was sort of used to women checking him out on a daily basis by now.

The introductions between the two groups were as convoluted as Natsu, and he was pretty sure the redhead was going to try beating them up at one point. He let Jellal handle that one; Gray wasn't into fighting girls. Instead, he let his eyes wander over the group, finally stopping on the woman who had given him enough curiosity to come with his other friends. Juvia was much quieter than her group of friends. She didn't like to look at any of the men, but she seemed especially embarrassed whenever their eyes caught. When Natsu suggested that all the 'doppelgangers' sit next to each other, Gray was sure she was going to pass out in her seat. He kept his distance from her, watching her from the corner of his eye. He could tell she was unaware of spying by the way she constantly glanced over his body. It was pretty obvious this girl was interested in him. So why the hell wasn't she trying to start a conversation?

Most woman Gray met tended to gush about themselves the second they were introduced. Maybe they thought because of his strange stripping habit (damn Ur), that he was an easy lay? Either way, Gray would entertain them for a bit before finding a way to politely decline their offers. He may have been a little lackadaisical on his clothes, but he was still a gentleman. That was probably one the reasons he detested going to bars; he hated getting stared at because of a habit he couldn't help.

"Where's Juvia?" He could tell by the concern in Lucy's voice that she hadn't noticed her quiet friend slip out of the bar. Trying to ease the woman, Gray pushed his chair out to catch her attention.

"She went outside about ten minutes ago. I thought maybe she was a smoker or something."

"No, Juvia has never even tried a cigarette," Lucy explained, which relieved Gray a little more than he wanted to admit. He stood, but not before finishing his beer and sending a glance to his swaying friend beside them.

"If you keep an eye on the drunkard and order me another beer, I'll find your friend. Deal?"

"Are you sure? Juvia tends to be kind of shy around men." _Gee, I hadn't noticed_. Gray bit back the sarcastic remark, realizing that his slight mood swing had nothing to do with the pair of brown eyes gazing up at him in gratitude. Lucy was pretty, Gray had to admit that. Maybe not his exact type, but still could catch his eye. He hoped that Natsu could keep it together enough to sway the blonde beauty to his side.

"I'm her doppelganger, remember? I'm kind of like a... _ninth_ wheel without her."

"Well I guess that's true..." Right when he was sure that Lucy was going to protest, Natsu dropped his head into her chest, making the girl's face light up in color.

"Mmm...your boobs feel like pillows, Luce." Gray felt himself snort, wishing he could smack his friend in the head. So much for not blowing it.

"I think I'd rather go look for Juvia; I don't have the right body parts to sooth him." Lucy only mutely nodded, Gray shoving his hands in his pockets before heading toward the door. He kicked the doorstop in the crack of the doorway, making sure it wouldn't lock him out. He took in the quiet night for a minute, the sounds of the rowdy bar seeming so far away now. Though he hung out with a loud group of friends, Gray wasn't always into crowds. Sometimes, the quiet of solitude really suited him better.

His attention was drawn from his thoughts when he heard the sloshing of water. Glancing to his left, Gray found the woman he was looking for. Fairy Tail sat on a hill, and at the bottom was a pond. Juvia was crouched at the side, her boots and socks left a few feet back. The jeans she wore were rolled up to her knees, Juvia walking along the edge of the water. The hair that had been down her back was pulled into a messy bun, except for a few strands in the front. Juvia's eyes were watching the water quietly, the glow of fireflies occasionally lighting the pale skin of the woman. His interest piqued, Gray quietly walked to where her boots were, trying not to make a sound.

Gray could admit that the woman was very attractive. Though she didn't have the normal markings of beauty, the qualities she did have were unique in a pretty way. Gray had never been into tan girls, so her light skin really caught his attention. And he had always been a sucker for blue eyes. Even when it was wrapped in a bun, Juvia's hair looked soft to the touch. She didn't seem like she was overly conscious about her appearance, because she was now knee deep in pond water. He felt himself blush when he realized he was staring, and felt creepy because she still didn't know he was there. He let out a loud cough, Juvia quickly turning toward him.

"Juvia is sorry, she didn't mean to trespass-oh! Gray, it's you!" He nodded while she walked toward him, seeming to lose some of her confidence when she left the water. Her gaze left his own, watching the water drip down her legs. "Was there something Gray needed?"

"Well, I told Lucy I'd find you; she was a little worried when you just left without saying anything."

"Juvia...doesn't do well in loud places," she whispered, seeming to clam up quickly. She fretted with the strand of hair by her face, eyes never drifting from the ground. Gray sighed, realizing that Lucy wasn't exaggerating. Juvia seriously did not do well talking to guys. He looked back to the lake, hoping that something there would spark a conversation.

"You do better in...ponds?" She looked back at the water, her shoulders seeming to relax at the mention of her previous actions.

"Juvia was studying the nightlife of ponds and comparing it to the nightlife of oceans. Juvia's research is mainly salt-water, but fresh-water isn't terrible. Their differences are quite vast, though many people don't realize this. Plants, animals, even bug life can differ depending on the water."

"So you're in school for marine biology?" Juvia turned toward him with a bright grin, the smile catching Gray off guard.

"Juvia is a part of the research labs at her college. Juvia has won several awards for her study of the birth locations of Great White sharks, which had been a mystery until recently. Juvia is in charge of two studies, and will be working with Professor Aquarius next fall." He blinked at the information, surprised by her achievements. She was so young! And yet she was quite advanced in her studies. She seemed to notice his surprise, because Juvia quickly blushed and moved toward her foot apparel. "But Gray did not come here to talk about that."

"It's okay," he said, but Juvia was already shaking her head while yanking her socks on.

"Gray was being nice and helping Lucy out. Juvia did not mean to bore him with her pointless talk. Juvia understands that not everyone is as involved with marine life, and that there are other topics to talk about when in the presence of an att-attractive man." That speech sounded way too practiced to be the first time she said it. Gray watched her struggle with her boot, wondering how many men had given up the chance to talk with her because of her eccentric nature. Did they tell her it was pointless? Most likely many of them felt inferior to her because of her accomplishments. Instead of praising her, they diminished her work and left her feeling like a nuisance instead of a breath of fresh air.

He wanted to say all of that, but the words got caught in his throat. Gray struggled with praising others; it was a habit that had gotten him the nickname 'ice man'. He wasn't very emotional with people, whether they were best friends or mere acquaintances. He never tried to give people the cold shoulder; it was just the way he was raised. He and his brother Lyon had been rivals since they were kids. They were both adopted by the same foster mother, and had been at each other's necks from the first day they met. Though getting older had quelled some of that fire, Gray still felt the unconscious need to prove himself. Adding Ultear into the mix made Gray's residence quite the competitive home. Ultear was Ur's daughter by blood, and had left home before Gray and Lyon had been adopted. Ultear came back a few years later, and seemed just as emotionally stunted as Gray and Lyon. She didn't feel the desire to warm up to Gray or Lyon at first, making the years that followed tense. Living with Ultear and Lyon meant you had to have a thick skin, and thus his cold persona came out. Now the three were pretty close, yet Gray never seemed to shake his need to push people away. That was the only way he knew how to be.

But if he didn't say something right now, he felt like he'd be missing out on the chance of a lifetime.

"Have you ever pet a shark before?" Juvia had only gotten one boot on when Gray asked the random question. She nearly fell back into the pond, but Gray was quick to swing an arm around her waist. She instantly leaned forward into his chest, hobbling on the one boot-covered foot. The other was popped into the air, Juvia's arms wrapping around his neck to steady herself. By the time the two had gotten their balance just right, Juvia realized their position and blushed. Too embarrassed to show her face, Juvia buried it into his shoulder. He tensed at the feeling, trying to pull back to catch her gaze again.

"Don't look!" The tightening of her arms around his neck made Gray sigh, glancing up at the stars. He sure picked a weird one to follow. The silence wasn't _too_ awkward, with the sounds of croaking frogs and crickets chirping in the moonlight. He adjusted his arms around her, but found he didn't mind holding the quiet woman. She was as soft as she looked, and he fought the temptation to run his fingers along the back of her arms. Instead, Gray tried to wait for a sign he could move, keeping his gaze on the night sky above them. He had just figured out which stars made the little dipper when he heard the quiet voice bubbling below him. "Leopard sharks."

"Leopard sharks...what?" He asked, unsure if he was allowed to put his head back down. In reality, there was nothing holding him back from doing it, except it would upset Juvia. He wondered why that point made the difference. Maybe he was just trying to be a gentleman? Or was it something else? He decided thinking about it would only make his head hurt. Instead, he listened to her hesitant voice grow stronger.

"Juvia has pet Leopard sharks. And Tiger sharks, though not as many."

"Aren't Tiger sharks really dangerous?"

"Third most dangerous to humans, yes. But some research shows that tiger sharks enjoy their noses being pet. Leopard sharks aren't dangerous, and enjoy belly rubs. Juvia has done both in her research facility." It was pretty amusing how easily she could talk about petting _sharks_ but she couldn't meet a male's gaze without getting scared.

"Have you ever swam with sharks?" He asked, taking the chance to peek down at her. Juvia, who was unaware of his gaze, puffed her cheeks out and glanced to her left.

"Juvia was supposed to last summer, but it was cancelled when they discovered bull sharks in the water. Juvia did not care about the bull sharks, but it was considered 'too dangerous' to continue the tagging."

"You were willing to swim...with bull sharks." He repeated her comment to make sure he understood her correctly. Juvia snapped her head up to agree, her eyes widening when realizing their noses brushed. Gray himself felt his throat dry at the contact, but refused to let their conversation die. He was a Fullbuster; a simple nose brush from a cute girl shouldn't have stalled his heart like that! "Shark week's taught me that's a big no-no."

"Gray watches Shark week?" He shrugged to make it look casual and glanced away from her surprised look.

"It's a big thing in my family; my half-sister's obsessed with it. Every year since we were young, we've all watched it together. It was only time we could manage to be in the same room and not fight."

That wasn't completely true; the three siblings always bickered about which shark was the best. Lyon was sold on the Hammerhead, the 'underappreciated' shark. Gray and Ultear always rolled their eyes at this, knowing Lyon's middle child syndrome was kicking in. Ultear liked the Tiger shark, known for hunting alone and destroying anyone that got in their way. And Gray? Though it wasn't as interesting as his siblings picks, Gray always admired the Mako shark. He wasn't the strongest or largest, but he used his smaller body to his advantage. His speed and intelligence was what kept the Mako alive, and Gray could relate.

"Juvia records Shark Week every year; her dream is to get her research featured in it." He watched how her eyes lit up when talking about her goals, his lips quirking into a side smile.

"Shark Week starts this Sunday, I think."

"Yes; Juvia has her DVR programmed already." He shrugged and looked back up at the sky, clearing his throat before speaking.

"I think Ultear would die if I brought a shark _specialist_ over to watch it." Juvia blinked at his statement, her eyes widening when she suddenly realized what he was asking.

"Gr-Gr-Gray wants to bring Ju-Juvia home with him?!" Gray jumped at the phrasing of her sentence, putting some distance between them. Juvia didn't seem affected by the behavior, Gray noticing the blush scorching her face. Her hands now covered her cheeks, surprise easy to read in her features. "Gray isn't worried his family will consider Juvia weird?"

"Er, well...my family's not really, uh, normal." Could he even say they were a technical family? Ur was Ultear's biological mother, and she adopted Lyon and Gray when they were kids. At seventeen, Gray's father came stumbling back into his life, though Gray had been told both of his parents were killed when he was a baby. Selling his house and quitting his job to find Gray, Silver somehow became a tenant in Ur's house, and a surrogate father to Lyon and Ultear. And then there was Ur and Silver...

The whole thing was way too complicated to explain to Juvia, especially when they had only known each other for a few hours. But seeing the nervous look on her face, Gray was sure that Juvia was more concerned about what his family thought about her than the other way around.

"Is it really okay for Juvia to come to Gray's family event? Juvia has heard those are not something a person brings a stranger such as Juvia to." Because that statement wasn't loaded with a hundred questions. Like how she made it sound like she never had a family to call her own. Gray wanted to ask, but refrained when he realized how out of character that would be. Since when did Gray delve into emotional situations? He barely liked telling his siblings he loved them. So instead, Gray shoved his hands into his pockets and let a shrug roll over his shoulders.

"If you want to come, give me your number. I'll text you the address; we start watching it at seven." He pulled the phone from his jeans, tossing it to Juvia. She fumbled the phone, finally grasping it and punching in her number. Juvia shyly handed the phone back, Gray feeling himself smirk at her sudden nervousness. He saw her whole body tense when he spoke again. "Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes?"

"What's your favorite shark?"

"Juvia loves all sharks!" How did he know she was going to say that? He sent her a look that proved the answer wasn't good enough, so Juvia fixed her boots while she answered. "But Juvia appreciates the sharks that get less attention. Like the Mako shark."

"You don't say," Gray replied, feeling himself grin for the first time all night. Juvia nearly melted at the sight, fanning her face as she rushed to reply.

"Of course there are many other sharks that aren't as popular! The whale shark, basking shark, angel shark, sand shark, gr-" Juvia's ramblings were cut off when Gray reached out, grabbing her hand and yanking her back toward the bar.

"Save your expertise for Sunday." His hand tightened on hers when she barely squeaked out an 'okay', Gray surprised by how comfortable he felt with her fingers between his. The shark specialist was a little eccentric, but Gray had always liked a challenge. It would take a while for her to get comfortable in her skin around him. He would struggle to express any sort of desire to keep her around. He could already tell that Lyon was going to find her attractive (he found any woman attractive, honestly), and Gray knew that would cause some arguments. Ur would love her, and Ultear was going to terrorize Gray about 'finally settling down'. He didn't even want to think about what Silver was going to say to embarrass Gray.

Still, with these mounting problems already playing out in Gray's head, he didn't let go of her hand. Nudging the door back open to the bar, Gray sent a final glance to the woman behind him. Her bright blue eyes looked up at him with a mixture of nerves and adoration, strands of hair sweeping against the lip she bite.

Let the world throw it's worst at them, that was fine. Maybe this girl would be worth it.

Gajeel was an idiot. Growling as he stared at the underside of the car he was working on, the mechanic tried to focus on the task at hand. But it was hard to do that when his mind was going over the night that haunted him for a week. No, not the night. The woman he had met at the bar was what really bothered him. Levy had been a spitfire, and Gajeel was instantly hooked. Whatever he dished out, she gave it right back. She was sassy, but dainty at the same time. Not to mention she was a hot little ticket. The two had flirted with each other all night, an act that Gajeel didn't do often. He liked his freedom, and having more than a few one night stands really hindered that.

But, like the idiot he was, Gajeel gave Levy his card with his personal cell phone on it. Why had he done that? Now he couldn't seem to go three seconds without feeling the urge to check his phone. The only reason he didn't was because the pink-haired moron always teased him about it. He could already hear Natsu's annoying voice echoing in his ears.

" _What are you, a teenage girl? Man,I can't wait to tell Lucy!"_

"One day I'm going to kill him," Gajeel muttered to himself, yanking on one of the rusted out wheel bearings of the car. Natsu had left for the day, planning some nice date for his new love interest. Him and the blonde had been attached at the hip ever since the night in the bar. Though Natsu worked every one of his last nerves, he was glad that the moron had found a girl just as weird to call his girlfriend. In fact, most of the pairs that met at the bar were making an effort to see each other. Lisanna and Bixlow were gone for the weekend on some mountain hike, and Gajeel was positive their platonic friendship was long gone. If Lisanna got knocked up in the next few months, Gajeel wouldn't be surprised. Jellal and Erza weren't as open as the previous couple, but every Sunday Jellal made his way to the red head's house for _Game of Thrones._ Neither would admit their relationship had become intimate, but Gajeel wasn't an idiot. Sometime a simple glance between two people was enough to prove there was chemistry.

Gray was the only one Gajeel believed when he claimed to not have 'sealed the deal' with Juvia. But that was not because he hadn't wanted to. Gajeel felt a sadistic grin lift his lips as he thought of his friends lack of privacy. Living with two nosy siblings and a pair of even nosier parents really cramped Gray's game. It didn't help that Gray's entire family loved Juvia, and his brother was more than a little flirty with the marine biologist. Juvia had her eyes completely transfixed on Gray, but was too embarrassed to push the envelope. The two of them were hopeless, and it made Gajeel feel better about his situation in a twisted way.

Levy hadn't reached out to Gajeel. He hadn't gotten her number, and though he knew he could easily ask Lucy, Gajeel didn't want to seem desperate. He liked her, yeah, but he was a man. And if Levy didn't want to talk to him, Gajeel wasn't about to become a stalker. There were plenty of women in the world. So what if they didn't get him as hot under the collar as the shrimp did? He would just have to look harder for a girl with her fire. And her body. And her spirit. Did he mention her-

"Um, hello?" Gajeel heard the soft voice echo in the spaced out garage, a familiar tone make him jerk his head up. Unfortunately the car was still above him, and Gajeel let out a slew of swears when his forehead smashed into the metal. Rubbing his head, Gajeel pushed the creeper out from under the car to search where the voice had come from. His eyes instantly landed on the small form leaning on the opened garage door. Had his head been so far in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the door open? Gajeel noticed the dusky pink illuminating the woman's body, the sunset about to clock out. Slowly Gajeel pushed off of the creeper and stood, awkwardly wiping his dirt-smudged hands on his jeans. The summer heat had left Gajeel in a grey tank top, a good choice from the way the blue-haired woman glanced at his sweaty arms.

"The shop closed an hour ago." His gruff voice grabbed her attention back to his face, Gajeel leaning against the car he had been working on. His arms crossed over his chest, watching Levy slowly enter the garage space.

"Natsu said I could come by and drop my car off." Of course he did. Gajeel wasn't sure which bothered him more; Natsu's lack of consideration for Gajeel's time, or the fact that Levy had contacted him instead of Gajeel. Either way, the pierced man felt his eyes narrow before he scoffed.

"Then tell flame-brain he can come back and fix it. I'm done for the day."

"He's going to work on it tomorrow."

"Fantastic." Gajeel turned away from Levy, shutting the hood of the car he was working on with more force than he needed. Without looking back to Levy, Gajeel jerked a thumb toward the empty space to the right of the garage. "Park the car over here for the night; I'm locking this place up so nobody will have access to it."

"Oh, thank you." There was a lull of silence between them, and Gajeel wondered why the woman behind him hadn't moved back toward her car. After a minute, the mechanic turned back around to see Levy awkwardly playing with the set of keys in her hands. Maybe it was the sunset behind her, but the small woman looked pinker than she had when she first walked in. Arching an eyebrow, Gajeel slowly walked toward her.

"Something wrong?"

"No, uh…" Levy finally looked up to Gajeel, her lips pressed together in a look of discomfort. "It's just, with my car staying in the shop, I don't really have a ride home."

"How the hell did that happen?" Gajeel smacked his forehead, shaking his head once before looking back to Levy. "Don't suppose you live in walking distance."

"No," Levy answered, fiddling with her keys again. He was about to make a snarky remark, but his bark was sucked away when Levy's next sentence caught his attention. "But I heard you do."

"Huh?" Levy's face now resembled a tomato, and Gajeel quickly realized what Levy had just done. "Did you just try to make a pass at me?"

"Don't say it like that!" Her indignant shout was paired with a glare from Levy, but the look only made Gajeel's smirk appear. He leaned his arm on the frame of the garage door, just over Levy's head.

"So, you're going to have to help me out on this one. I give you my number, and you don't call me. You don't even send me a text. Then, you disappear for a week. At this point, I'm under the assumption that you don't want to have anything to do with me." Gajeel's actions contradicted his words as he leaned down toward Levy, invading her personal space as if he belonged there. "But now, I've got you at my shop, asking me to take you home with me. See where my confusion comes from?"

"I was going to call you," she defended, Gajeel rolling his eyes.

"Then why didn't you?" Her hands balled by her sides as she glared up at him, their noses now millimeters apart.

"Because I thought you'd think I was desperate!" After her loud exclamation, Levy shut her eyes and started to hit her fists into his chest. "You're such a jerk!"

"Hey, knock it off." Gajeel quickly grabbed her wrists, ignoring the squeak of protest as he lifted them high above her head.

"Let me go!" Her little feet were now on tiptoes, Gajeel snickering as she glared through her blush.

"So you're crazy about me, eh?"

"I didn't say-"

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised; I am pretty hot." Her struggling doubled in effort, Levy kicking his knee hard enough to make Gajeel wince. Finally he dropped her back to the ground, but yanked her wrists so she fell into him. Levy bumped into his chest, and Gajeel's arms quickly wrapped around her waist to steady her. "I guess you're pretty cute when you're embarrassed."

" _Gajeel…_ " Even with the growl in her voice, Levy couldn't stop the cocky grin Gajeel had. Before she could blink, Gajeel spun Levy around and pushed the woman toward her car. Her face instantly flushed when he smacked her ass, making her stumble a bit in her step.

"Pull your car in here so we can get going."

"Y-You can-can't just do that!" Stuttering through her embarrassment, Levy pouted when Gajeel only laughed at her statement. He moved toward her again, but this time, it wasn't to push her away. Instead, Gajeel slid two fingers under her chin, lifting her face enough to place a scorching kiss onto her lips. Levy's hands instantly dropped to his biceps, mouth parting for the toe-curling kiss Gajeel was giving her. He kissed expertly, his hand leading her cheek to tilt up for his questing mouth. The moment lasted forever to Levy, and she couldn't say she minded. When Gajeel finally pulled away from her bruised lips, Levy's eyes took several seconds to flutter open again. Gajeel's hands were now laced behind his head, the confident smirk never fading.

"Yes, I can. Now move the car, before I get any more naughty ideas." Levy looked like she wanted to refute, but one glance to his lips shut her own. Somehow, she knew he wasn't bluffing. Not wanting to get distracted, Levy scurried to her car in order to heed Gajeel's orders. The mechanic snickered and opened the other garage door, trying not to show the relief he was feeling. So the shrimp was just as nervous as he was, eh? Did that mean she felt the spark? If that kiss was an indicator, then she definitely did. Levy rolled the car into the garage, their eyes meeting when Levy drove past him. Even from there, Gajeel could see the remnants of her blush.

Maybe he wasn't an idiot after all.

 **And that's the story! If you read my NaLu story, you know that I have a slight obsession with Sharks. I wrote this a few months before I wrote my NaLu story, so I forgot that I made Juvia a shark person too. Natsu and Juvia saving the sharks! How cute would that be? I hope that you all liked it, please let me know what you think.**

 **ALSO!** **I will have two new stories coming up in the next month, so keep your eyes out! I hope that you'll be just as excited as I am! And check out my tumblr!**


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